Charlie Elgar
Encyclopedia
Charles Anthony "Charlie" Elgar (June 13, 1879, New Orleans, Louisiana
– August 1973, Chicago, Illinois) was an American jazz
bandleader.
Elgar was once thought to have been born in 1885, but later interviews confirmed 1879 as his year of birth. Elgar played violin as a child, and played in Chicago from 1903 with the Bloom Theater Philharmonic Orchestra, returning to New Orleans late in the decade of the 1900s until about 1913. He put together a group in Chicago comprised in part of musicians he had promised work in New Orleans, including Manuel Perez
. His band played at the Dreamland Ballroom in Chicago from 1917 to 1922, both as a quintet and as a full 15-member ensemble. This band toured in the revue Plantation Days and traveled to London
, though Elgar did not accompany it on this trip. However, he did play with Will Marion Cook
's Southern Syncopated Orchestra in Europe. He led later bands in Milwaukee, 1925-28 and again in Chicago, 1926-30.
Aside from the above mentioned, his sidemen included Lorenzo Tio
, Louis Cottrell, Jr.
, Barney Bigard
, Ben Thigpen
, Darnell Howard
, and Omer Simeon
. He recorded only four times in 1926 with the Creole Orchestra for Vocalion Records
. He became a teacher in the 1930s and also worked as a union official later in his life.
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
– August 1973, Chicago, Illinois) was an American jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
bandleader.
Elgar was once thought to have been born in 1885, but later interviews confirmed 1879 as his year of birth. Elgar played violin as a child, and played in Chicago from 1903 with the Bloom Theater Philharmonic Orchestra, returning to New Orleans late in the decade of the 1900s until about 1913. He put together a group in Chicago comprised in part of musicians he had promised work in New Orleans, including Manuel Perez
Manuel Perez (musician)
Emanuel Perez – also known as Manuel - was an early New Orleans jazz cornetist and bandleader. Being a contemporary of Buddy Bolden, Perez is considered one of the originators, and was influential in crafting the early jazz and ragtime sound.-Life:Some details of his early life remain obscure...
. His band played at the Dreamland Ballroom in Chicago from 1917 to 1922, both as a quintet and as a full 15-member ensemble. This band toured in the revue Plantation Days and traveled to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, though Elgar did not accompany it on this trip. However, he did play with Will Marion Cook
Will Marion Cook
William Mercer Cook , better known as Will Marion Cook, was an African American composer and violinist from the United States. Cook was a student of Antonín Dvořák and performed for King George V among others...
's Southern Syncopated Orchestra in Europe. He led later bands in Milwaukee, 1925-28 and again in Chicago, 1926-30.
Aside from the above mentioned, his sidemen included Lorenzo Tio
Lorenzo Tio
Lorenzo Tio Jr. was a master clarinetist from New Orleans, as were his father Lorenzo Tio Sr. and uncle Louis "Papa" Tio...
, Louis Cottrell, Jr.
Louis Cottrell, Jr.
Louis Albert Cottrell, Jr. was a Louisiana Creole jazz clarinetist and tenor saxophonist. He was the son of the influential drummer Louis Cottrell, Sr., and grandfather of New Orleans jazz drummer Louis Cottrell...
, Barney Bigard
Barney Bigard
Albany Leon Bigard, aka Barney Bigard, was an American jazz clarinetist and tenor saxophonist, though primarily known for the clarinet....
, Ben Thigpen
Ben Thigpen
Ben Thigpen was an American jazz drummer. He is the father of drummer Ed Thigpen.Ben Thigpen played piano as a child, having been trained by his sister Eva. He played in South Bend, Indiana with Bobby Boswell in the 1920s, and then moved to Chicago to study under Jimmy Bertrand. While there he...
, Darnell Howard
Darnell Howard
Darnell Howard was an American jazz clarinetist.Howard began playing violin at age seven, picking up clarinet and saxophone later in his youth. He played professionally with John H. Wickcliffe's Ginger Orchestra from 1913 to 1916, then moved to New York City in 1917, where he played and recorded...
, and Omer Simeon
Omer Simeon
Omer Victor Simeon was an American jazz clarinetist. He also played soprano, alto, and baritone saxophone and bass clarinet....
. He recorded only four times in 1926 with the Creole Orchestra for Vocalion Records
Vocalion Records
Vocalion Records is a record label active for many years in the United States and in the United Kingdom.-History:Vocalion was founded in 1916 by the Aeolian Piano Company of New York City, which introduced a retail line of phonographs at the same time. The name was derived from one of their...
. He became a teacher in the 1930s and also worked as a union official later in his life.